Apart from predation, ground-nesting Red-wattled Lapwings
faced the risk of nest damage by grazing animals. In two instances
we witnessed a herd of grazing sheep trampling the eggs of groundnesting
Red-wattled Lapwings. Also, on a number of occasions
ground-nesting parents were observed aggressively attacking grazing
animals near their nests. Damage to eggs in ground-nests by grazing
animals has been reported by other workers also (Beintema &
Muskens 1987, Hart et al. 2002).